POST GRADUATE PROGRAM

DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL WORK

COURSE- SOCIAL WORK PRACTICUM

ACADEMIC YEAR- 2015

INSTRUCTOR- MOSSISA K. (PhD)

CONCCURENT VISIT REPORT

PREPARED BY: TIZITA CHAKA

ID NO: SGS0575/2015A

MAY, 2023
Date of field work: May 8, 2023

Name of the agency: Integrated family service organization (IFSO)

Time spent in the agency: 4 hours

Activities performed today:

 Reviewing active and closed cases of sexually abused children in the NGO

During my stay on this day, I was able to see active and closed cases of children
who are helped in this project. The organization’s file management is well
organized, and the process from intake assessment to family reunification
(termination) has been put. When a child is terminated from the project a general
and compressed document will be written about him/her. Any format/template that
is related to the beneficiary children is provided by the donor of the organization.

Observation related to agency functioning:

This organization has two giant projects which are currently ongoing. I was
assigned on the rehabilitation of sexually abused children project. The organization
keeps sexually abused children under the age of 18 in the two shelters. One is for
girls and the other for boys. The duration of the children’s stay in the
organization’s shelter varies according to their legal process. The main purpose of
these shelters is to separate the children from the place where they were attacked
and help them with shelter, food, clothing, psychological, health, education and
legal process and let them reunify with their families when it is found that it is not
a threat to their safety anymore. So the organization keeps the records of every

MAY, 2023
child in a very organized way. For example the final annual the format has the
following contents.

 Therapeutic progress
 Brief description of the story of the child
 Brief history of the abuse
 Psychological health condition
 Academic situation
 Family and social interaction
 Health condition (physical)
 Support received/receiving

Teamwork: As I was reviewing documents of children, the social worker and the
counselor were giving me a brief explanation on the things I couldn’t understand.
They were very cooperative.

Assigned tasks: I was assigned to specifically review the active case of a child as I
will be able to assist her in reunification the coming day.

Observation regarding client system and service delivery: As I was assigned

on the rehab project, the main beneficiaries are children. The organization assures
it’s best to secure the safety and wish of the children. I was told that the foster
mothers are so compassionate so that all the children feel loved, wanted and feel
home during their stay in the shelter. They will build a strong bond each other.
They always cry when the time of reunification with their family comes. This
indicate that their stay at the shelter give them comfort and a place where they can
breathe freely.

MAY, 2023
Administrative Assignments: No administrative work performed today. I only
review their active and closed case.

Social work skills used:

 Communication skills
 Active listening skills
 Team Capabilities.

Reflection about acquired social work knowledge, skills & attitude, strengths
and weakness of the agency with possible means of improving weaknesses:

Skills

During the visit I was able to acquire the skills of;

 Writing down the work done;

 Noting the progress people make towards their desired outcomes; including
the views of the person;
 Analysis and assessment; and
 The life history of the person and its interpretation
 Communication skills, integrity and analytical skills

Knowledge

All the cases I reviewed have some variation of ways of recording the data.
Because of this I was able to observe and acquire knowledge on different types of
record keeping methods. These are; Process recording, Summary Recording,
Verbatim Recording, Non-verbatim or Narrative recording, Problem oriented
recording, Face sheet or Intake sheet, Eco-map, and Genogram. Throughout the
entire process the caseworker has recorded the interview, the progress.

MAY, 2023
Strength

Keep all of their clients’ information in their own files, physical folders, or other
unique storage areas is one of the strongest side of IFSO in the perspective of
record keeping. These folders are not sophisticated or even detailed; they’re just a
means to separate relevant client information.

When information is not organized, the results can be disastrous. You may send
communications to the wrong person, mix up deadlines, or lose track of a project
entirely. So IFSO recognizes these relatively minor issue as these mistakes can
make them seem unprofessional, harm their relationships with their clients, and
negatively impact their service. So they use a very organized file system to be
highly effective to avoid those negative consequences, significantly benefiting
their service.

Weakness

As today’s activity was reviewing active and closed cases of children my

observation is all about record keeping. I was able to observe the organization
doesn’t use a Digital Calendars which are an essential organizational tool that an
organization rely on, but this is one area where an organization should go digital
since IFSO doesn’t use much digital system. Digital calendars offer the same
advantages as their physical counterparts, allowing you to put in appointments and
manage your schedule, but the benefits don’t stop there. Digital calendars have
additional features that almost make it difficult for you to be disorganized.

A practitioner can input information about his/her client into each event, so she/he
always knows exactly who she/he is meeting. The practitioner can use alarms and
reminders to ensure he/she is on time for the meetings. Most digital calendars can

MAY, 2023
repeat, duplicate, and share appointments, making it simple to convey that
information to everyone who needs to attend.

Activities planned for next day: To assist in counseling and other activities for a
child reunification with her parents

Learning Achievements summary

Today I have learnt that record keeping and confidentiality is one of the main
components of best service. It had been a great experience for me as it was my first
time to review any kind of case. I have learnt that there are varies ways of
recording clients’ story. In addition to record keeping confidentiality, securing the
safety of the client is a prior thing to do. I have been able to observe different types
of record keeping of clients which indicates the whole process and the issue of the
client. These are process recording, summary Recording, Verbatim Recording,
Non-verbatim or Narrative recording, Problem oriented recording, Face sheet or
Intake sheet, Eco-map, and Genogram.

MAY, 2023
Date of field work: May 12, 2023

Name of the agency: Integrated family service organization (IFSO)

Time spent in the agency: 4 hours

Activities performed today

 Assisting in reunification of a client with her parents

Observation related to agency functioning

Children who face sexual abuse in their childhood are vulnerable to certain mental
illnesses. By providing a safe and loving environment, the child’s parents and
family can boost the child’s healing, mental wellbeing, and through it, the child’s
ability to face adversity through their lives.

It has been two months since my client came to our shelter after being sexually
abused by a neighbor. During her stay in these two months, she has been receiving
various services provided by our organization and has been pursuing the case
legally. Finally the person who assaulted her was sentenced to 12 years in prison
and the legal process was completed. So my client has to leave the shelter where
she has been isolated from her family and the neighborhood for months and goes to
her family and her old neighborhood. To do this, psychological preparation is
required. This process is given in two ways. One is provided as a separate
counselling service with the client alone and a joint consultation service with her
family. This process is to provide her a safe, stable, permanent home, nurtured by
healthy families and strong communities.

Teamwork: During the reunification process the advocates, social worker, the
foster care teacher; foster mother has their own role in assessing my clients’

MAY, 2023
current situation and progress. All the team was very cooperative so to make her
ready to reunify with her family.

Assigned tasks: I was assigned to observe the reunification process and report if
any challenge occurred.

Observation regarding client system and service delivery

Collaborating and communicating openly with families allows practitioner to

identify strengths and protective factors, allows for the identification of possible
supports, and increases the likelihood of reunification. During the reunification
process, advocates and other service providers were actively involved with the
child and family. Professionals continually check in with her and family about how
they are feeling about the process and what problems or concerns they may have. If
at any time the child is uncomfortable or decides they were alerted to stop the
process for any reason, the process must stop. The organization does the process of
reunification in different way in every situation and is not a guaranteed process that
necessarily ends with everyone living at home again. This process is largely
dependent upon the family, with the focus on keeping the child safe from harm.

Administrative Assignments: Moderate the discussion held with the family

Social work skills used:

 Active listening
 Counselling
 Report writing

MAY, 2023
Reflection about acquired social work knowledge, skills & attitude, strengths
and weakness of the agency with possible means of improving weaknesses

Skills

During the process of reunification I was able to acquire various skills. The
reunification process was demanding such skills as active listening, counseling,
assessing the needs, following up my clients’ feelings.

Knowledge

During the process I understood that reunification is not an easy task and has its
own steps and procedures. I was able to acquire knowledge on reunification
strategies that may include family engagement, maintaining family and cultural
connections, connecting families to evidence-based services in the community,
regular and frequent visits among family members and with the worker, and parent
education, among others.

The entire process was proceeding in the consent of the client. The organization
was very attentive to the feeling, comfort, and security of the client. The process
was recorded in a proper manner. No significant weakness was observed during the
day.

Activities planned for next day: Assisting a client in her legal case

Learning Achievements summary

I have learned that for social workers to provide counseling through private
practice, it will be similarly important to emphasize that these children are not
alone and that nothing they have experienced is their fault. Often children of abuse
do not even understand that what they’ve been subjected to is wrong and not an

MAY, 2023
appropriate show of affection. As a social worker I understand that it is important
to bring cultural competence to complex situations, considering environmental
factors when assessing a family’s dysfunction. I learned that how important it is to
work with the whole family, helping identify and address the challenges they face
as individuals, as a family, and as part of their communities. This sensitivity is
essential to repair adult behavior and provide children with the tools to understand
abuse, cope with it, and regain self-esteem.

MAY, 2023